At birth, brothers Noah and Samuel Goldman, Connecticut’s first twins born in 2010, weighed a mere 3 lbs., 15 oz., and 2 lbs., 15 oz.
Thanks to the expert team of high-risk specialists in The Birthplace at Bridgeport Hospital, these once-bitty boys are strong and healthy!

Corie and Michael Goldman had a plan. It wasn’t
particularly complicated or extraordinary. In fact,
it was the plan of many recently married couples:
have children within five years.

But a few years into their plan, things weren’t progressing as
expected. First they had trouble conceiving…followed by
trouble staying pregnant. Life suddenly became an
emotional rollercoaster, filled with moments of elation
and stretches of profound pain. “I always imagined myself
getting married, then getting pregnant. I assumed everything
would fall into place as easily as I had pictured it.
The dreams I had for us were crushed,” remembers Corie.

Then, in 2009, came the news they had been waiting to
hear: Corie and Michael were expecting. “We were
beyond elated—it seemed like a miracle—but we were
still very nervous,” Corie says. “During the first few
weeks, I was doubtful. I didn’t want to get my hopes up
in case it didn’t work out.”

But it did. And just six weeks into the pregnancy, an ultrasound
detected two heartbeats. Twins. Healthy, thriving,
fabulous, perfect twins!

Silly baby! Samuel loves to giggle with mom.

“We were excited and grateful,
crying and cheering at the same
time! And, according to the doctors,
everything seemed to be
moving along as it should,” says
Corie. “Best of all, I felt fine.” Her
full-term due date was Feb. 27,
2010, “but I knew that with multiples
I would likely deliver before
40 weeks, a full-term pregnancy.
I thought, maybe, 38 weeks.”

Soon after, Corie met with
Bridgeport Hospital’s Chief of
Obstetrics, Steven Laifer, MD, a
perinatologist who specializes in
high-risk pregnancies. (A woman
who has a medical condition
and/or who is pregnant with more
than one baby is considered high-risk.) Dr. Laifer reviewed
Corie’s medical history and developed a plan for watching
the twins carefully using ultrasounds.

Corie and Michael were excited to find out that they were
expecting two boys. “We named them Samuel and Noah,
after grandparents on either side of the family,” Corie
explains. Throughout her pregnancy, Corie made several
visits to Bridgeport Hospital’s Antenatal Testing Unit
(ante=before, natal=birth) for ultrasound tests and other
important screenings. “There are many risks that come
with carrying more than one baby,” says Bridgeport Hospital’s Chief of Maternal-
Fetal Medicine, Robert Stiller,
MD. “Therefore, mothers pregnant
with twins generally need
additional ultrasounds to follow
the growth of both babies
and to check for signs of
preterm labor through measurements
of the length of the
cervix, as well as screenings for
other medical problems such as
high blood pressure or high
blood glucose levels.”

During an appointment in
December 2009, while Corie
was on winter break from her
job at a school in Trumbull,
Dr. Stiller expressed concern
about a new issue: the ultrasound at 25 weeks’ gestation
showed a decreased level of amniotic fluid (fluid that
surrounds a baby during pregnancy) around Samuel.
“This was worrisome because it indicated the possibility
that her placenta was not working as well as expected,”
says Dr. Stiller.

Dr. Stiller advised Corie not to return to work after winter
break. “I wanted Corie to rest, given that she had such
an active life and many responsibilities,” he says.

“Dr. Stiller’s recommendation really caught me off guard,
because I was looking forward to returning to work at the
end of the week,” says Corie. “But he explained that I
needed to take it easy and rest in order to maintain my
health, so I prepared to concentrate on doing just that.”

On December 30, Corie, accompanied by grandparentsto-
be, went to Bridgeport Hospital for a scheduled test.
“Dr. Stiller measured the growth of both babies and the
blood flow from the placenta to the boys,” she explains.
“To my surprise, it indicated that Samuel wasn’t growing
as well as Noah, and that he might be under stress.” She
was given a steroid injection to speed up the twins’ lung
development just in case the babies had to be delivered
before their due date—and Dr. Stiller advised her to
return the next day.

By December 31, Samuel’s condition had worsened and,
without delay, Dr. Laifer admitted Corie to the hospital. “I
was concerned. The fluid appeared more decreased and the
blood flow pattern in the umbilical cord was indicating
that Samuel was receiving less oxygen,” says Dr. Laifer. “It
was in the babies’ and Corie’s best interest to be admitted
for continuous monitoring. If anything further changed,
the boys could be delivered immediately.”

“Everything happened so fast,” Corie remembers. “I called
my husband, Michael, at work to tell him I was being
admitted. Then I was given a second steroid shot to speed
up the twins’ lung development. Thank God my family
was already with me. I was so worried—I had come in for
a simple test!—and couldn’t have handled the serious
possibilities of that situation on my own.”

After the initial hustle and bustle subsided, Corie slipped
into denial, hiding her profound fear of not having the
children she always wanted. “Deep down, I was terrified.
We had come so far in this pregnancy and I didn’t want
to entertain the ‘what ifs’. I was physically and emotionally
unable to face what could be around the corner,” she
says. The nurses helped keep her spirits up. “My nurses
were so warm, encouraging and supportive, and I really
appreciated that.”

But just a few hours later, Noah’s heart rate suddenly
dropped and Women’s Health Care of Trumbull OB/GYN
Donna Sinclair, MD, arrived to check Corie and the
babies. Corie wondered, Is it time? “Thankfully, it wasn’t,”
she says. “Dr. Sinclair told me that the heart rates looked
normal and she wanted to wait for the steroids to take
effect. So it wasn’t time to deliver yet. It was more of a
wait-and-see.”

Hours passed and the babies were doing well. Corie and
Michael settled in for the night. “We cuddled up, watched
the ball drop on TV and welcomed in 2010, just as we
would have done at home,” remembers Corie. After riding
an emotional rollercoaster for two days, the couple finally
relaxed enough to drift off to sleep…

The Goldman Family: Michael, Corie, Noah and Samuel.

But not for long! “Suddenly, all these people—nurses, doctors—
ran into the room to wake me up,” remembers Corie.
“They were saying that their monitors showed that
Samuel’s heart rate had dropped and that it was time to
deliver. I was sound asleep and had no idea that Samuel
was in distress. Thank goodness they were monitoring him
and me. When they said it was time, I couldn’t believe it.”
Within 15 minutes, Corie was in the operating room where
Dr. Sinclair and a team of doctors, anthesthesiologists,
nurses and technicians were waiting to welcome the babies
into the world.

Just after 2:00 a.m., Corie and Michael celebrated the
births of Noah, who weighed 3 lbs., 15 oz., and Samuel,
weighing 2 lbs., 15 oz.—the first twins born in Connecticut
in 2010! These tiny brothers arrived nearly two months
ahead of schedule, but were, thankfully, strong and relatively
healthy.

The boys were transported to the Newborn Intensive
Care Unit (NBICU) at Bridgeport Hospital, which provides
the highest and most comprehensive level of care
available in Fairfield County to premature and critically
ill newborns. “The fact that they were born so early was
frightening to both of us,” says Corie. “We were very
worried. But when I saw the doctors and nurses jump
into action, I relaxed.”

“We immediately fitted the twins with nasal prongs to
provide oxygen and pressure to their lungs to relieve
their respiratory distress,” explains Bridgeport Hospital’s
Chief of Neonatology Robert Herzlinger, MD. A team
of specialists took care of the twins for the two weeks
they were in the NBICU. “And Michael and I were at
their side practically 24/7,” Corie says. Noah grew strong
quickly and came home first. Samuel came home the
following day.

Bridgeport Hospital-Affiliated Obstetricians

When picking an obstetrician for expert care, be sure to select one who chooses to
deliver at Bridgeport Hospital:

If you would like more information about, or a referral to, any of these
expert physicians, please visit Find a Physician
or call 1-888-357-2396, toll free, 24/7.

The boys continue to thrive. “They have done great with
excellent ‘catch up growth,’ which means they are growing
faster than usual to catch up for their premature birth,” says
their pediatrician, Richard Freedman, MD. “They are
developing as they should, and we expect them to be
perfectly normal little boys.”

“We have so many people to thank at Bridgeport Hospital.
We couldn’t have gotten through this without them,” Corie
continues. “From the compassionate care Michael and I
received before the boys were born to the supportive
Newborn ICU team of specialists. They cared about all of
us individually and as a family. They loved our baby boys;
we felt it. We are so thankful to everyone at Bridgeport
Hospital who helped our dream come true.”

Did You Know…?

Established in 1973, the Bridgeport Hospital
Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NBICU) was the
first of its kind in Fairfield County. Today, the
NBICU continues to provide the highest and most
comprehensive level of care to premature and critically
ill newborns available in Fairfield County.

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